Hello Flight Report community and thanks for stopping by this review, the second installment of my American AAdvantage miles purge.
It has been clear for several years that the American Airlines Advantage frequent flyer program was out of sync with the other major US carriers. It has remained very generous on the redemption side while the others have had significant devaluations. Smart money was on a correction coming sooner before later. It was with this in mind that I decided to structure a grand adventure and cut deeply into my AAdvantage miles inventory.
The final tally was SNA-PHX-LHR-CDG for 62,500 AA miles, CDG-DOH-DEL for 40,000 AA miles, and DEL-AUH-JFK-LAX for 90,000 AA miles.So 192,500 AA miles lighter, I was off.
This was to be my very first time in the care of British Airways First and I was here to answer, for myself, the age old question, "Is BA First the best Business Class across the Atlantic?"
It was a pleasant walk from the A gates to the B gates even though PHX is a rather poor facility. The low ceilings and narrow corridors make for a crowded terminal. This is only the second time I have visited this airport and my first time in this terminal.
For better or worse I leave little to surprise in my travels. All airline products are well researched as well as the associated lounges. With this in mind I was aware of the marginal lounge offerings at PHX and especially for the BA flight. I had a nearly two hour layover in PHX so I rode the elevator up one level from the departure gates to visit "The Club."
This is laughable. I don't think of Jan Brewer or Joe Arpaio as "friendly". Vile and simple minded maybe, but not friendly.
The elegant lounge entrance.
I was welcomed at the desk by a very friendly and matronly woman who checked me in and directed me right to the first class section. From this point on I don't have many pictures because the small room that was the first class portion of the lounge was very crowded. The furniture was crammed in in a most uncomfortable manner such that you were almost sittting on top of other visitors. Charis were arranged facing each other, shoulder to shoulder, where you could't even walk around the tables that were in between. It was comically bad.
I managed a shot of the bar and food area.
The snacks on offer didn't look terribly appetizing.
The lounge didn't have restroom facilities and you had to leave to the public restrooms around the corner.
There was a very friendly and hard working young woman staffing the room and she was doing her best to take care of the many guests. She would walk around the clear dishes, offer additional beverages. She even passed a tray of cookies. She didn't have a lot of tools at her disposal but kudos for a great attitude and effort. The espresso machine in the lounge was broken and she told me it has been for the year that she has worked there. Lovely.
I went down to the gate early to take a walk. We were departing from B27, as I assume this flight always does.
I wandered the terminal until the posted boarding time at which point I returned to B27 and it was very crowded. Boarding had not begun on time. The delay mounted and the only announcements from the gate agents involved upgrading to World Traveler Plus. At boarding time +20 I noticed the entire crew standing in the sterile area by the jet bridge. They had not boarded yet so we were certainly not going anywhere soon.
Finally pre-boarding was called for those needing extra time as well as first class. We were held by the boarding pass scanners for a long time presumably so the wheelchairs could deliver their passengers and clear the aisles before the hounds were released. It was during this wait in close proximity to the gate counter that I saw a most remarkable transaction. An elderly gentleman, American for what it's worth, was traveling with wife and 20 something son. Mom and Dad were in business and apparently the son was not. The man wanted to pay to upgrade his son to J. He had his credit card in hand and was gesturing enthusiastically. The BA agents explained that the cabin was full. Next he inquired about upgrading his son to first. She explained that only one cabin upgrades were possible (?). To resolve this the man paid for a complete stranger to upgrade to first so his son could ride in J! A passenger was paged to check in at the desk, presumably a high tier Executive Club member. He was told that, "this gentleman would like to upgrade you to first class to make your Club World seat available to his son. Is this agreeable?" The passenger enthusiastically agreed to the scheme and was issued a new boarding pass. I was completely speechless. This had to be very expensive and for the life of me I have no idea why he or his wife didn't upgrade to first to make space. The lucky travel lottery winner was assigned seat 1K.
Eventually we boarded and I was greeted by a crew that was very busy presumably because they were not able to be on board at the proper time. I was shown to seat 2A in the very smart looking, if not cramped, nose of the 747.
I chose seat 2A after reading that it had a good mix of space and privacy on the 747. It didn't seem as private as 1A or K but wasn't quite as cramped. The closet at the nose made 1A and K less desirable as well.
This is the view from 2A.
I was instantly a fan of the cabin aesthetics. The blue glowing window sills, the lamp, the colors all made for an elegant space.
I was also drawn to the light fixture.
Waiting at the seat was a small blanket and headphones.
I was promptly offered a beverage and I opted for the Grand Siecle, which I was excited to try. The champagne was very nice although I ws unsure of how to pronounce the name. I asked the crew and after some research and deliberation they determined that none of them knew how to say it either. Bless their hearts.
The crew was very senior and rather closed off to begin with. I think there may have been some frustration with having little time to prep their work areas before passengers began arriving. I noticed as boarding progressed the attitudes shifted to more warmth and willingness to converse.
Amenity kits and pajamas were offered. I also requested slippers.
The seat has intuitive controls and a detailed guide.
After some time on the airplane the reason for the delay was revealed. The Captain made an announcement that one of the catering trucks, with scissor lift extended, had broken down and they were unable to move it. Steps were being taken but he was uncertain of how and when it would be resolved. At one point the asked us to be seated so that they may move the airplane forward some distance. I was in no particular hurry with a long layover at LHR but I knew others were watching their connections fail one by one. The excellent cabin service manager made sure the LP was flowing, I was sitting in first class in the nose of a 747, so I was quite content.
Menus were distributed during the delay and read as follows.
When we finally departed we had endured an approximately 100 minute delay. The captain seemed confident that we could make up some of this in the air. He was indeed correct as we made it ot hte gate at LHR with under a 60 minute delay. After a brief taxi and a long takeoff roll we were up into the thin high desert air.
The resolution on the dated IFE monitors was not the best.
Service began after a slight delay due to some rough air. I resumed my burgeoning acquaintance with the Grand Siecle served with some warm nuts.
I indicated that I would like to take a meal so the table was set.
First up was the amuse bouche in the form of a goat cheese tart. I must say it was quite tasty even for a lukewarm fan of goat cheese. Bread was offered form a foil "basket" and I selected a roll with nuts.
Next up was the marinated Maine lobster. This was poorly executed and very rubbery.
I opted for the creamy red pepper soup with harissa and it was hot and well seasoned.
The meal was moving at a good pace and plates were cleared efficiently but with no sense of rush.
The salad with creamy chive dressing. Good texture and a zesty dressing.
I wasn't really drawn to any of the mains but ordered the beef for some reason. I was warned that it was likely not very good, which is funny in and of itself, but I opted to have a go. The advise was good and I manages barely a bite. The saving grace was the Clos des Jacobins 2006 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe with which it was served.
I am not usually a fan of dessert but the lemon and amaretti tart sounded nice. It was better on paper.
Next I took the cheese with a glass of the Sauternes. Look, more goats cheese. I like the quince paste on a cheese plate.
Finally some 18 year Glenlivet for digestif. Chocolates were passed and I might have sampled one.
It was a very pedestrian meal with 50% of the dishes bordering on inedible.
I was probably one of only two passengers awake in the full cabin and I requested the bed be made and I conked out above Thunder Bay.
I was quite pleased that I had a good sleep. The confines of the seat are not especially spacious but the bedding was adequate. I awoke as we were feet dry over Ireland. I was bid good morning and offered a drink. I requested a coffee.
For breakfast I ordered the "Traditional English" and a Bloody Mary. I was asked if I wanted Vodka in the Bloody Mary. Yes, that's the whole point, isn't it?
The breakfast was fine on the whole but the potatoes were terrible.
Breakfast was wrapped up over Southern England.
Announcements were made about connections including those who were pro-actively re-booked. With such a massive BA hub and multiple daily frequencies I hope it wasn't too terrible for anyone.
With minimal vectoring we were sent into LHR.
We followed a company A380 until we turned off to park at terminal 3.
Our 747 parked next to this vintage A300.
With fast track card in hand and no rush to make a connection I lingered by the window to snap a pic of the airplane and allowed those trying to save their connection room to expedite.
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Verdict
British Airways
6.9/10
Cabin7.0
Cabin crew7.0
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Meal/catering6.5
The Club at PHX
4.0/10
Comfort4.0
Meal/catering4.0
Entertainment/wifi4.0
Services4.0
Phoenix - PHX
5.0/10
Efficiency5.0
Access5.0
Services5.0
Cleanliness5.0
London - LHR
6.5/10
Efficiency5.0
Access7.0
Services7.0
Cleanliness7.0
Conclusion
Well there you have it, my fist time across the Atlantic, or any body of water for that matter, with BA First.
The Ground Service: I encountered several friendly BA/Contract ground staff during boarding and they seemed to want to do right by their customers. The lack of announcements during the delay and the packed gate house were very negative when time was made to announce upgrades for sale. As a whole this was a poor showing.
The Lounge: Abysmal. The general lounge area was also extremely crowded with SRO and what appeared to be the same food offerings as the First Class section. The staff did their best but it's not a pleasant way to start a premium cabin journey.
The Cabin: The First Class cabin is cramped with 14 seats. As a point of reference Delta fits 14 J seats in the same space. The style of the seat and cabin fittings is very good. I found the seat comfortable enough for lounging but lacking in storage space and sleep space.
The Crew: After a flustered start I found the crew to be attentive and friendly enough. Beverages were topped up and dishes cleared promptly. No one, except for CSM, was especially memorable for engaging with the customers.
The Food and Beverage: The champagne, wine and whiskey I sampled were all First Class in my book. The food was more J than F with a couple of dishes that were complete failures.
Overall: I don't have a lot of experience in J or F on the Transatlantic. SQ F and LH F to FRA and handful of DL J flights to various cities. The LH and SQ experiences are well beyond what was offered on this BA flight in all aspects of the service. I will venture to say that I've had a couple of DL J flights that eclipse this BA offering on food and service but pale in comparison on wine and other beverages. So, I am prepared to say that, in this Flight Reporter's limited experience, BA F is the best J class over the Atlantic! ;)
2 LIKESLIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORTHANKS ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKED
Thanks for sharing your report. Sounds like you had a nice flight with BA overall in F, but I'd agree by the look of some of your photos the food at times seemed a bit lacking.
An elderly gentleman, American for what it's worth, was traveling with wife and 20 something son. Mom and Dad were in business and apparently the son was not. The man wanted to pay to upgrade his son to J. He had his credit card in hand and was gesturing enthusiastically. The BA agents explained that the cabin was full. Next he inquired about upgrading his son to first. She explained that only one cabin upgrades were possible (?). To resolve this the man paid for a complete stranger to upgrade to first so his son could ride in J! A passenger was paged to check in at the desk, presumably a high tier Executive Club member. He was told that, this gentleman would like to upgrade you to first class to make your Club World seat available to his son. Is this agreeable? The passenger enthusiastically agreed to the scheme and was issued a new boarding pass. I was completely speechless. This had to be very expensive and for the life of me I have no idea why he or his wife didn't upgrade to first to make space. The lucky travel lottery winner was assigned seat 1K.
This is amazing! Wow. Never heard of such a thing.
Hi Matthew - Thanks for the comments. Yes, overall a perfectly acceptable flight. The upgrade lottery was unlike anything I have seen either. Thanks again and happy flying.
BA does a good job of dressing up the cabin and it does have a very nice ambience. Though from your report if DL J can have better food and service, BA certainly need to step up its game, I always find that service and F&B are really what differentiates First and Business. Though I think BA F is still better than UA F.
Greetings Quirrow and thank you for reading a leaving a comment.
I can't really offer much tot he UA F vs. BA F debate as I have not flown UA F in 16 years. Based on reputation and reading reports I agree with your assessment that BA F > UA F.
Really odd situation at the beginning before boarding. Never heard of this happening before. It looks like the crew did their job quite well. The caterig is always hit or miss on BA depending on the dishes chosen. Bloody Mary for breakfast, someone definitely knows how to live.
Hope to read you soon for the next part of the routing.
Hello Beijinner and thank you for leaving a comment.
The catering is always hit or miss on BA depending on the dishes chosen. -I chose the wrong main, despite being warned by the FA that it was not going to be good!
Thank you for this report. The scene at the gate is incredible, the guy was really lucky ! Both dinner and lunch are not very appealing. Only 5 for the on-time-performance ? That's quite harsh as you had a long layover and the flight was only an 1h late out of a 10h-ish flight.
Hello K2World and thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
Only 5 for the on-time-performance ? That's quite harsh as you had a long layover and the flight was only an 1h late out of a 10h-ish flight. -To me, on-time performance also includes how an airline handles a delay. In the case of BA it was quite poorly handled. Hordes of people queued up and boarding time comes and goes and they can only be bothered to make announcements to sell better coach seats. So yes, a 5.
The pilot told everyone about the scissor truck anyway, why not just explain it in the gate area? -I don't know. It seems so easy to just say there is a slight delay and we anticipate boarding on 20 min. If that doesn't happen come back and say we're working on it and we need another X minutes...
Is the Admirals Club still under construction at PHX? I don't know. Another reader alluded that it may be open. I could have gone and had a look. I guess I was lazy. It's not like Admirals Clubs are all that nice either though.
I think you were generous giving them a 5 for on time performance. The most frustrating part of a delay is uncertainty and lack of communication. For some reason, the airlines seem to believe that a lack of transparency will keep people calm. The pilot told everyone about the scissor truck anyway, why not just explain it in the gate area?
Great report overall. What a joke of a lounge they put you in (probably looks the same as when they originally built the airport). Especially considering you were in in first class, not even business. Is the Admirals Club still under construction at PHX?
Comically bad lounge : I hope for BA that all their F passengers have the same sense of humor.
The two last minute upgrades Y>J plus J>F may have cost less than (or in a similar range as) the difference between the Y and J tickets, but the J was already full when Dad bought the ticket for his son.
I dislike first row seats : it is not privacy to me, but being face to a wall.
The flat 5 grade for PHX may be a sign that it was not filled in.
Greetings Marathon and thank you for leaving a comment.
Comically bad lounge : I hope for BA that all their F passengers have the same sense of humor. -Now that you mention it I didn't see anyone else laughing. ;)
The two last minute upgrades Y>J plus J>F may have cost less than (or in a similar range as) the difference between the Y and J tickets, but the J was already full when Dad bought the ticket for his son. -Good point. Still curious why someone in his party couldn't be the one sitting in F!?!
Hello K2World and thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
Only 5 for the on-time-performance ? That's quite harsh as you had a long layover and the flight was only an 1h late out of a 10h-ish flight. -To me, on-time performance also includes how an airline handles a delay. In the case of BA it was quite poorly handled. Hordes of people queued up and boarding time comes and goes and they can only be bothered to make announcements to sell better coach seats. So yes, a 5.
For those F passengers used to the Concorde Room @ LHR this Club @ PHX must be such a drastic letdown. Wouldn't it be better to use the newly renovated Admirals Club instead? Some might argue that the AA Club is in another concourse, but PHX airport is not huge and it shouldn't take more than 10-15 min. to walk between the AA Club and the terminal where BA leaves.
The food as you said didn't look appetizing. Was that guava paste smeared over cream cheese? That is so Brazilian (it's called Rome e Julieta). The British flags on the counter is kind of cheesy.
Very unusual upgrade at the gate. If money is no problem, then more power to the gentleman. At least he made someone happy and hopefully karma will return the favor. ;)
The cabin looks cramped to me but the decor is reassuring. There is a distinct touch of elegance to it.
Your meal was a lackluster and disappointing for F, but now you know. Hopefully your F lounge experience will make up for some of this.
Thanks Christian for sharing this FR with great shots as usual. Looking forward to the rest.
Greetings Jetsetpanda and thank you as always for your thoughtful comments.
For those F passengers used to the Concorde Room @ LHR this Club @ PHX must be such a drastic letdown. -Indeed. It is also in stark contrast to the LAX passengers who benefit from the exquisite Qantas F lounge. Of course a visit to the Salon Lounge at CDG and the Club @ PHX doesn't look as bad... ;)
The food as you said didn't look appetizing. Was that guava paste smeared over cream cheese? -I really don't know but one thing I am noticing, looking back at the pictures, is that no one was touching the food. It was all perfectly stocked.
Thanks for sharing this next leg in the series. Flying in F on the Queen of the Skies is always exciting, even if the product isn't the best!
Is BA First the best Business Class across the Atlantic? - Haha, I've heard this many times before. But one good think about this is that BA F prices are significantly lower than other carriers like AF or LH. For the moment, BA F award redemption rates with AA miles are decent--until the miles are devalued next week anyway.
It was a pleasant walk from the A gates to the B gates even though PHX is a rather poor facility. - PHX is soooo 80s. Skyharbor could really use a harbor.
This is laughable. I don't think of Jan Brewer or Joe Arpaio as friendly. Vile and simple minded maybe, but not friendly. - Amen brother!
checked me in and directed me right to the first class section. - Well, at least there is a First class section. Too many times in outstations, F pax have to go to subpar J lounges. I'd hate to see what the J section looks like if that's the food offering in the F section! Yikes. Still...probably better than crackers and celery sticks in the Admirals Club.
this gentleman would like to upgrade you to first class to make your Club World seat available to his son. Is this agreeable? - W...T...F! That is pure craziness. That's one lucky guy! If the payee has so much money, he should have just bought a J ticket for his son from the get go, lol
I was instantly a fan of the cabin aesthetics. The blue glowing window sills, the lamp, the colors all made for an elegant space. - I'm also a fan of the look of the F Cabin, and the BA brand in general that carrier over to the Lounges as well
I think there may have been some frustration with having little time to prep - Sounds like the inbound aircraft was late getting in from LHR
they determined that none of them knew how to say it either. - Haha...well they're Brits, after all. Funny, because the opposite happens to me all the time. I'll pronounce the name the French way and FAs have no idea what I mean, so I have to anglicize it.
The catering looks ok, though it's a shame the lobster was rubbery. I imagine it's difficult to get lobster right on an airplane. I've had lobster on AF and it was slightly rubbery, but still good. Beef if never good on planes, so there's no surprise there, LOL. Nothing terribly exciting on the menu, but I wouldn't call it pedestrian, and it seems they executed the service well and coursed it properly. The nice wine list also makes us for some shortcomings of the catering.
they determined that none of them knew how to say it either. - Hahaha...well duh! Otherwise it would be a Virgin Mary...silly FA :-P
That old school IFE does not fit right with the ultra modern cabin. You'd think they could've upgraded it.
Overall I think your grading is perfect for this experience. It was good -- not great and not bad, but good. The most disappointing part of the whole experience is the pretty much non-existent ground experience. There is really nothing to differentiate from J class on the ground. Now I know that connecting in LHR will make up for that with the Concorde Room, but ground experiences in out-stations is important too. AF really does it right, with dedicated attendants to escort and assist F pax the whole way and exclusive lounges.
So in the end, I wouldn't say BA F is the Best Business class it's definitely a First class, but it's not in the same league as AF and LH First, especially due to the ground experience.
Greetings Kevin and thanks for checking out my FR and leaving a comment.
Haha, I've heard this many times before. -It is cliche, I'll admit...but there is merit to the assertion that BA First is a level below other carriers in the TA market.
Amen brother! -So you're familiar with Arizona politics. So sad. It's such a beautiful state and mecca for baseball fans in the spring. But alas, it's run by morons.
I'll pronounce the name the French way and FAs have no idea what I mean, so I have to anglicize it. -This made me laugh. Of course it would work that way too, I hadn't considered that. I was able to obtain the correct pronunciation from Jose, an Etihad flight attendant from Portugal, whom I overheard speaking French to one of the passengers on AUH-JFK.
The nice wine list also makes us for some shortcomings of the catering. -I concur that the beverage selection is First Class all the way.
AF really does it right, with dedicated attendants to escort and assist F pax the whole way and exclusive lounges. -AF is the gold standard. Perhaps someday.
Thank you for the report Socalnow: the 'grand siècle' means "great century" (for France) and is pronounced relatively easily provided one forgets the English rendition of the alphabet. So if one pronounces letters as in any other Latin based language it would be close. In French just do not pronounce the ending "d" and "e" in this case. Phonetically it looks like this: ɡrɑ̃ sjɛklə or ɡrɑ̃ sjɛkl. Anyhow - are there any benefits (arrival lounge) in LHR for the First Class? Had you had your First Class boarding pass in LHR - what lounge would you be directed to? Any other hints.
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968 reviews
19 Comments
An elderly gentleman, American for what it's worth, was traveling with wife and 20 something son. Mom and Dad were in business and apparently the son was not. The man wanted to pay to upgrade his son to J. He had his credit card in hand and was gesturing enthusiastically. The BA agents explained that the cabin was full. Next he inquired about upgrading his son to first. She explained that only one cabin upgrades were possible (?). To resolve this the man paid for a complete stranger to upgrade to first so his son could ride in J! A passenger was paged to check in at the desk, presumably a high tier Executive Club member. He was told that, this gentleman would like to upgrade you to first class to make your Club World seat available to his son. Is this agreeable? The passenger enthusiastically agreed to the scheme and was issued a new boarding pass. I was completely speechless. This had to be very expensive and for the life of me I have no idea why he or his wife didn't upgrade to first to make space. The lucky travel lottery winner was assigned seat 1K.
This is amazing! Wow. Never heard of such a thing.
Best, Matthew
I can't really offer much tot he UA F vs. BA F debate as I have not flown UA F in 16 years. Based on reputation and reading reports I agree with your assessment that BA F > UA F.
Thanks again and happy flying.
Really odd situation at the beginning before boarding. Never heard of this happening before.
It looks like the crew did their job quite well.
The caterig is always hit or miss on BA depending on the dishes chosen.
Bloody Mary for breakfast, someone definitely knows how to live.
Hope to read you soon for the next part of the routing.
The catering is always hit or miss on BA depending on the dishes chosen.
-I chose the wrong main, despite being warned by the FA that it was not going to be good!
Thanks again and happy flying.
The scene at the gate is incredible, the guy was really lucky !
Both dinner and lunch are not very appealing.
Only 5 for the on-time-performance ? That's quite harsh as you had a long layover and the flight was only an 1h late out of a 10h-ish flight.
Only 5 for the on-time-performance ? That's quite harsh as you had a long layover and the flight was only an 1h late out of a 10h-ish flight.
-To me, on-time performance also includes how an airline handles a delay. In the case of BA it was quite poorly handled. Hordes of people queued up and boarding time comes and goes and they can only be bothered to make announcements to sell better coach seats. So yes, a 5.
Thanks again and happy flying.
The pilot told everyone about the scissor truck anyway, why not just explain it in the gate area?
-I don't know. It seems so easy to just say there is a slight delay and we anticipate boarding on 20 min. If that doesn't happen come back and say we're working on it and we need another X minutes...
Is the Admirals Club still under construction at PHX?
I don't know. Another reader alluded that it may be open. I could have gone and had a look. I guess I was lazy. It's not like Admirals Clubs are all that nice either though.
Thanks again and happy flying.
Great report overall. What a joke of a lounge they put you in (probably looks the same as when they originally built the airport). Especially considering you were in in first class, not even business. Is the Admirals Club still under construction at PHX?
The two last minute upgrades Y>J plus J>F may have cost less than (or in a similar range as) the difference between the Y and J tickets, but the J was already full when Dad bought the ticket for his son.
I dislike first row seats : it is not privacy to me, but being face to a wall.
The flat 5 grade for PHX may be a sign that it was not filled in.
Thanks for sharing !
Comically bad lounge : I hope for BA that all their F passengers have the same sense of humor.
-Now that you mention it I didn't see anyone else laughing. ;)
The two last minute upgrades Y>J plus J>F may have cost less than (or in a similar range as) the difference between the Y and J tickets, but the J was already full when Dad bought the ticket for his son.
-Good point. Still curious why someone in his party couldn't be the one sitting in F!?!
Thanks again and happy flying.
The flat 5 grade for PHX may be a sign that it was not filled in.
In this case I just think that little of PHX and the state of arizona as a whole.
Only 5 for the on-time-performance ? That's quite harsh as you had a long layover and the flight was only an 1h late out of a 10h-ish flight.
-To me, on-time performance also includes how an airline handles a delay. In the case of BA it was quite poorly handled. Hordes of people queued up and boarding time comes and goes and they can only be bothered to make announcements to sell better coach seats. So yes, a 5.
Thanks again and happy flying.
The food as you said didn't look appetizing. Was that guava paste smeared over cream cheese? That is so Brazilian (it's called Rome e Julieta). The British flags on the counter is kind of cheesy.
Very unusual upgrade at the gate. If money is no problem, then more power to the gentleman. At least he made someone happy and hopefully karma will return the favor. ;)
The cabin looks cramped to me but the decor is reassuring. There is a distinct touch of elegance to it.
Your meal was a lackluster and disappointing for F, but now you know. Hopefully your F lounge experience will make up for some of this.
Thanks Christian for sharing this FR with great shots as usual. Looking forward to the rest.
For those F passengers used to the Concorde Room @ LHR this Club @ PHX must be such a drastic letdown.
-Indeed. It is also in stark contrast to the LAX passengers who benefit from the exquisite Qantas F lounge. Of course a visit to the Salon Lounge at CDG and the Club @ PHX doesn't look as bad... ;)
The food as you said didn't look appetizing. Was that guava paste smeared over cream cheese?
-I really don't know but one thing I am noticing, looking back at the pictures, is that no one was touching the food. It was all perfectly stocked.
Thanks again and happy flying.
Is BA First the best Business Class across the Atlantic?
- Haha, I've heard this many times before. But one good think about this is that BA F prices are significantly lower than other carriers like AF or LH. For the moment, BA F award redemption rates with AA miles are decent--until the miles are devalued next week anyway.
It was a pleasant walk from the A gates to the B gates even though PHX is a rather poor facility.
- PHX is soooo 80s. Skyharbor could really use a harbor.
This is laughable. I don't think of Jan Brewer or Joe Arpaio as friendly. Vile and simple minded maybe, but not friendly.
- Amen brother!
checked me in and directed me right to the first class section.
- Well, at least there is a First class section. Too many times in outstations, F pax have to go to subpar J lounges. I'd hate to see what the J section looks like if that's the food offering in the F section! Yikes. Still...probably better than crackers and celery sticks in the Admirals Club.
this gentleman would like to upgrade you to first class to make your Club World seat available to his son. Is this agreeable?
- W...T...F! That is pure craziness. That's one lucky guy! If the payee has so much money, he should have just bought a J ticket for his son from the get go, lol
I was instantly a fan of the cabin aesthetics. The blue glowing window sills, the lamp, the colors all made for an elegant space.
- I'm also a fan of the look of the F Cabin, and the BA brand in general that carrier over to the Lounges as well
I think there may have been some frustration with having little time to prep
- Sounds like the inbound aircraft was late getting in from LHR
they determined that none of them knew how to say it either.
- Haha...well they're Brits, after all. Funny, because the opposite happens to me all the time. I'll pronounce the name the French way and FAs have no idea what I mean, so I have to anglicize it.
The catering looks ok, though it's a shame the lobster was rubbery. I imagine it's difficult to get lobster right on an airplane. I've had lobster on AF and it was slightly rubbery, but still good. Beef if never good on planes, so there's no surprise there, LOL. Nothing terribly exciting on the menu, but I wouldn't call it pedestrian, and it seems they executed the service well and coursed it properly. The nice wine list also makes us for some shortcomings of the catering.
they determined that none of them knew how to say it either.
- Hahaha...well duh! Otherwise it would be a Virgin Mary...silly FA :-P
That old school IFE does not fit right with the ultra modern cabin. You'd think they could've upgraded it.
Overall I think your grading is perfect for this experience. It was good -- not great and not bad, but good. The most disappointing part of the whole experience is the pretty much non-existent ground experience. There is really nothing to differentiate from J class on the ground. Now I know that connecting in LHR will make up for that with the Concorde Room, but ground experiences in out-stations is important too. AF really does it right, with dedicated attendants to escort and assist F pax the whole way and exclusive lounges.
So in the end, I wouldn't say BA F is the Best Business class it's definitely a First class, but it's not in the same league as AF and LH First, especially due to the ground experience.
Thanks for sharing this great report!
Haha, I've heard this many times before.
-It is cliche, I'll admit...but there is merit to the assertion that BA First is a level below other carriers in the TA market.
Amen brother!
-So you're familiar with Arizona politics. So sad. It's such a beautiful state and mecca for baseball fans in the spring. But alas, it's run by morons.
I'll pronounce the name the French way and FAs have no idea what I mean, so I have to anglicize it.
-This made me laugh. Of course it would work that way too, I hadn't considered that. I was able to obtain the correct pronunciation from Jose, an Etihad flight attendant from Portugal, whom I overheard speaking French to one of the passengers on AUH-JFK.
The nice wine list also makes us for some shortcomings of the catering.
-I concur that the beverage selection is First Class all the way.
AF really does it right, with dedicated attendants to escort and assist F pax the whole way and exclusive lounges.
-AF is the gold standard. Perhaps someday.
Thanks again and happy flying.
the 'grand siècle' means "great century" (for France) and is pronounced relatively easily provided one forgets the English rendition of the alphabet. So if one pronounces letters as in any other Latin based language it would be close. In French just do not pronounce the ending "d" and "e" in this case. Phonetically it looks like this: ɡrɑ̃ sjɛklə or ɡrɑ̃ sjɛkl.
Anyhow - are there any benefits (arrival lounge) in LHR for the First Class? Had you had your First Class boarding pass in LHR - what lounge would you be directed to? Any other hints.
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